Life on the Arcadia
by k-martforever
Summary: Life on the Arcadia seams to be getting a bit too much for Alice as she has to remember the past to continue on with the future.


**Okay so this is my first piece of writing so don't hate on it too much! I enjoy writing them so I thought I would see what everyone ells thinks! Even if I only get one****person who enjoyed reading the story I will be happy )**

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><p>(On the arcadia, as if umbrella hadn't attacked.)<p>

I lived for days like this, just me and Claire lying in our bed with no worries of what to come just simply being with each other. She looks so peaceful just lying there with her calm features. I admired the red headed woman sleeping next to me, she does always have perfect straight hair even in the mornings this was one this that made me a little jealous as mine was so shaggy, I gave up on it a long time ago. As she stured in her sleep I planted a kissed on her pale cheek and left for the shower.

By the time I had finished Clair was awake, with that signature smirked on her face as she eyed me up standing with just a towel wrapped around my slender figure.

"And what are you smiling at, huh?"

"Oh nothing…. just some sexy ass woman, in a towel" she winked back at me

I couldn't help but grin back at her, she just knew how to push my buttons and with that I dived back under the covers hugging her close to me and finding her soft lips. If this was how I was going to spend the rest of my days here with her I would take it without a doubt.

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><p>"How do you work this again" I asked Chris pointing to the main control panel.<p>

"Here, let me do it" he pushed me away from the panel more aggressively than I would have liked and started pressing buttons. "I don't get what you even bother."

"What do you…" I was cut off by an alarm sounding and a fist pounding down on the console witch belonged to angry man beside me.

"Not again!" He picked up this belt and started to rush to the door. "We have another leak in the hull at the far end of the ship. You stay here and I'll go sort it out" and he was out of the door before I could get a word in.

The alarm soon switched off telling me that he had or was in the proses of fixing the problem.

I took up my usual position next to the larges windows, settling down in an old arm chair I took out of one the cabins, it was a bit tatty but it was more comfortable than anything in here. I placed my favoured twin shot guns next to me and took out my kukri knife's that I hadn't used since the Nevada desert and started to clean them up for future use.

Looking out of the window I couldn't see much on the horizon just the sea in all directions, it was like this for most of the time now. We just keep sailing hoping to find survivors, stopping briefly to pick up supplies every now and then. Chris was the one who knew what to do, he mostly just stayed up in the control room keeping to himself, he did that a lot now checking maps, writing place where we could go next, the more I think about him and how he has changed over the last couple of months he seems to have lost hope.

I must have fallen asleep as when I came to Claire was sat at on the small table in the middle of the room looking at some of the old maps we had found while aboard the arcadia.

"Hey" I said groggily sitting up in the chair, it was getting late the sun had started to set in the distance.

"Hey, yourself" the redhead smiled back, still flicking through the old sheets of paper.

I stated to get up out of the chair stretching a little when she put a hand out for me to take and as soon as our fingers touched she pulled me in wrapping her legs around my waist and leaning in to kiss me, soft at first but I wasn't having any of that and retaliated with force. The redhead pulled my hands behind onto the cold table making me lean more into her, while her hands were brushing through my mop that I call hair.

She broke off, kissing me along my jaw line until she reached my ear whispering "I've missed you"

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><p>"ALICE!"…."ALICE! Where are you" I could hear Chris on the walkie-talkie lying beside me on the ground. I sat up getting my bearings as I felt the unfamiliar hard surface beneath me where my bed should be. "What the" I mouthed to myself. I was on the floor of our bathroom with Claire's jacket draped over the top of me.<p>

"ALICE!" the older the Redfield siblings shouted down the radio again

My mouth was dry and I could hardly get a word out all I could manage was "I..here"

"It's about time! Where have you been?" he continued in a rough tone. "Oh never mind, just get over to k-marts room now!"

Putting Claire's jacket on I headed for the door and down the corridor towards k-marts cabin. I'd never really noticed how dreary it's gotten along some of these passageways almost lifeless, there wasn't many people hanging around like there used to be. It had also gotten a lot darker, some of the lights didn't work anymore others just flickered. It reminded me of the underground umbrella laboratory back in the Nevada desert. I shuddered at the memory and continued walking.

I arrived to the room I was order to, the door wide open. As I walked through the door horror struck across my face, there I saw a lifeless k-mart still clutching the Beretta 90-Two in her hand. She had shot herself clean the head leaving a long red splatter along the wall behind her. Chris was crouched by her side with this face in his hands letting out low sobs.

Hearing a sound to my side I looked round to see Claire stood there looking down and the young girl. Her face was still almost calm. She didn't move at all just continuing looking at her.

Chris also looked up and shot me a piercing look, his eyes were blood shot and tears streaking down his face.

I looked again at Claire she still hadn't changed, still stood lifeless. I couldn't believe it, out of everyone she was the closest to K-mart they were practically sisters. Yet it was her older brother sobbing at the teen's side.

"What happened?" I finally managed to choke out

"What do you think happened!" he shot back at me "she just couldn't take it anymore! And I'm not surprised with the way you've been acting!" his eyes had now turned more red with the rage building up from within him.

"Who's gun…"

Before I could finish the sentence he whispered "its Claire's" dropped his head down once again.

I looked up towards the redhead still stood silently next to me. She was still yet to change "Claire" I hissed at her trying to snap her out of it.

"Maybe if id…" I heard Chris mutter to himself, "I promised id look after her" the words became muffled into his hands.

"Claire!" I hissed again trying to get her attention, she was still stood without a worry on her face until she looked up at me and smiled at me. "Claire, are you okay?" I mouthed at her. But before I could reach out towards her she was out through the cabin door and down the passageway. I attempted to follow after her but a large hand griped me just above my elbow stopping me from going any feather.

"This is your fault." Chris spoke very calmly into my ear and with a grunt he headed off after Claire.

I stood frozen in the doorway of K-marts room thinking of the girl who had just ended her own life. Why would she do this? She was always so happy, helping everyone and bringing the best out in people. Even now that she was reunited with her big sister and even closer to a normal life, she couldn't take it? I closed the door of the teen's cabin and with a sigh followed the Redfield siblings along the hall.

I later found Claire in one of the old store rooms as the end of the ship, she was sat on the floor in a ball hugging her knees. I sat down putting an arm round her shoulders hugging her close to me. She still hadn't changed her face expression.

"Claire hunny, are you okay?" I softly asked her

"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied as calmly as if nothing had happened

"It's okay to cry you know. You were like sisters" I couldn't say anything ells as I was trying to keep my own tears back and stay strong for her. I just hugged her closer to me and kissed her temple.

She lifted her arm to show the coloured wired bracelet that once belonged to k-mart. It was it perfect condition like it had never been touched. It now took residence on Clair's thin wrist. As we both admired it she let out a small chuckle "for luck." She then dropped her arm back to her side,

"She's with me now" the younger of the Redfield siblings calmly said looking up and smiling at me.

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><p>We stood hand in hand on the ship's deck giving K-mart a deserved farewell. Chris had wrapped the bod..her in some sheets and was going to take the body to the shore and fined somewhere for a proper burial, it's what the girl deserved. There weren't many of us on deck just a hand full of people including me, Claire and Chris. He said a few word about k but nothing much, nobody ells had wanted to give a speech not even Claire. I couldn't bring myself to say anything either in fear of breaking down. I just stood giving my support to the woman clinging to my side.<p>

Chris started to put K-mart in the last life raft that we had left, he had also taken a few of her things to put with her .I had offered to go with him but he wouldn't take my offer and I thought this was something that him and Claire should do together then maybe she could say goodbye properly.

I gave Claire a hug and a long needed kiss before I let her get on the boat with Chris and k-mart. She mouthed something at me that looked like 'goodbye Alice' but I couldn't be sure. I leaned against the railings as they slowly sailed to the land nearby, watching them until they were out of sight.

I waited in the control room for them to return just thinking about things that had happened recently, everything was going so well, Me and Claire was together at last, she had found not only her adopted little sister but her big brother also, we even found over 2,000 survivors and a place to call home for a while. Yet everything looked so bleak all of a sudden, there wasn't the normal chatter from the groups as normal and we didn't look to be making as much progress with reaching Alaska.

It was late when Chris entered through the control room door it must have taken them most of the afternoon to say there final goodbyes, I would do mine later. Standing up I looked passed the large man to comfort Clair but to my surprise I saw she wasn't following and I couldn't see her anywhere on deck. My heart started to beat faster and worry began to fill within me.

"Where's Claire?"

He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as the words had left my mouth. "Not this again" he muttered to himself.

"Chris, where's Claire?"

"YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS!" he rawer back taking a step towards me.

I didn't understand what he was saying "what do…."

"Alice" Chris interrupted me before I could finish "she's gone"

"Gone where?" I spat back "and you just let her go!"

The large man put a hand on both of my arms and softly said "she is dead, Alice" a tear falling down his muscular face.

"What! When? ….. How?" my mouth hung open, all I could think about was the woman that I had grown so close with was gone and I couldn't even say goodbye. I should have gone with her! Why didn't I? If I'd gone I could have saved her. Tears were now streaming down my face.

"Alice, she died a long time ago" he then let go of my arms and sat in the chair in front of the control panel burying his head in his large hand.

"What? No she can't have I was….just with her this morning" my mined just went blank I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything.

With a deep sigh and a sniff Chris lifted his head and told me everything…..

"She died just over 2 and half months ago. We took the life boat to a nearby beach town just looking for simple stuff to keep just going until we reached Alaska. We were nearly back to the dock when they came out of nowhere, there was loads of them just too many of the undead flooding around us, we hadn't planed on staying too long in the area so we didn't take much, we didn't think we would need to" he cut off taking another deep breath. "They got her" another pause from the brother this time it took him longer to get his words out. "You tried to save her. I didn't realise how many where surrounding us until it was too late. You fought your way through them to her and dragged her out…"

"_CLAIRE!" I screamed into the wall of undead in front of me, thrashing my kukri knives at everything in my way. "CLAIRE!" I shouted again. Dread was filling me what if they had gotten her what if this was it. _

"_Alice!" she finally called back "over here, there's too meant of…." an ear piercing scream cut her off, coming from the centre of the group and then again. _

_Oh no! Not Claire. Please not…_

"But by then she had already been bitten twice. You dragged her on the life boat barely alive" he stopped again, more tears falling down his face then looking up at the ceiling letting out a long breath. "We made it back to the arcadia and you took her straight to the medial bay."

"_Claire, please hang in there! I've got you. You're going to be fine I promise." I was running as fast as I could with her in my arms, she was barley awake just groggily trying to say something "al.." she started to mutter "i..ov...ple..". We were nearly there just round the next corner I thought. "shhh now hunny, were almost there." _

_I laid her down on one of the cots checking where she had been bitten, once on her right palm and another on her stomach. The thin white t-shirt she was wearing was shredded to pieces and covered in red stains. I put my hand over her cheek, a tear trying to escape my eye._

"_Al..i..ce" _

"_I'm here baby, I'm here" I reassured her kissing her forehead and taking her hand. "You're going to be fine….I'm…I'm" I didn't know how to end the sentence, instead I just looked into her green eyes and tried to think…._

"I'm not sure how long she survived after that but it was longer than I had seen anyone before" he let out a small laugh "she was always stubborn" his laugh turned into a sob. "But we were there for her, all of us were. You or k-mart didn't leave her side for the entire time but In the end she had made her decision…"

"_Alice" the frail red headed woman spoke out reaching for me with her bandaged hand, k-mart was tightly griping the other. "It's nearly time…" she started to cough blood out onto the ground next to her. I look towards a terrified looking K-mart trying to give a reassuring smile, I don't think it worked. She started again "I can feel it Alice, you have to let me go now" I looked at the woman I loved lying down in front of me, she was pail and frail with large purple circles starting to immerge around her eyes. How could she ask me to let her go when I loved her so much? She reached up and put the back of her hand to my cheek "I'm ready Alice". I put my free hand over hers. I could feel the tears running down my face now as I thought about what I had to do next. _

_She didn't ask me to do it but I wanted to, I wanted to be the one to end her suffering for her. _

_She first gave her goodbyes to k-mart with a kiss to her forehead and a hug that the young teen wouldn't let her free from. "You be good now sis, it will be your turn to take over one day and you're going to do a great job. I love you" she then let her go and replied through her sobbing "I love you too big sis"_

_She then turned to Chris who was trying to stay strong for his sister. "I've only just got you back and this.." he blurted out, his eyes were starting to go red. "I no, I no" she whispered back. "But I now know your safe and that's all that matters" she then pulled him in for a hug and he broke down sobbing into his younger siblings shoulder. Letting him go she finally said "you take care or your other sister now, okay bro?" He nodded back and went to stand with the young teen who flung her arms around him. "Love you" she mouthed at him._

_She finally looked at me "Alice, what can I say? I'm sorry won't even begin to cover it" I cut her off "no it's me who should be sorry!" I then scooped her up into me holding her thin body close to mine. "If I could swap places with you" I sobbed into her shoulder. "I know." She interrupted " I just want to let you know that…. I love you, like I've never loved anyone before in my life." At this moment I moved my face so it was inches away from hers so I could look into her eyes. "I love you too Claire Redfield" I pushed my lips to hers for one last time, I was still supporting her entire wait as she was weak and couldn't retaliate as passionately as she would do but this was all I needed. I could feel the cold on her lips now and laid her back down on the bed with one last smile"_

"We took her out on the life boat and buried her under a large tree so we would be able to remember where we left her" he then stood up and looked out of the large window.

There it was the small town, we must have been just a few miles out. Just along the coast was a clearing and that's where we buried her…

_Just the 3 of us stood around the small grave, K-mart was clinging to Chris's jacket sobbing. Chris had an arm around the young teen, his eyes red and bottom lip quivering looking down at the rock that had CLAIRE, A LOVED SISTER carved into it. I felt for the first time more alone than I ever did. She was gone. Gone forever._

"That's where I took k-mart today, she would have wanted to be buried next to her, they were always so close" another sob came from the large man.

I continued to look at of the window thinking how come I didn't remember anything till now? I raised my hand to the glass pressing my palm to it. "Claire" I whispered.

"How come I don't remember any of this?"

"You have" he said with a sigh.

"What?"

"We have been through this a few times now Alice." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "And I can't do this anymore. It's… it's just too painful" he cut off and looked down at the ground. "It's almost like your suppressing it each time you realise what has happened to her…. And it gets worse every time." he took his hand off of me and headed for the doorway before leaving he stopped "it wasn't your fault you know." And with that he was gone.

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><p>I left the Arcadia after that, taking the life boat to the shore so I could start again on my own but first I had to make a stop to visit Claire and K-mart one last time. I perched on a rock next to their graves. Chris had done much the same for K-mart as he did for Claire but this time carving K-MART LOVED BY ALL, as I read the stone a tear rolled down my face.<p>

I stayed there for a while just sitting with them, remembering the past, the good and the bad. Picking up my bag and heading for the tree line I took one last look back at the family I never had and saw Claire and K-mart stood holding hands smiling at me.

'were together now, everything's going to be okay"

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><p><strong>Okay so I just want to say THANKYOU for reading and I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing! Please leave a nice comment (constructive would be lovely) and let me know if you would like another <strong>

**OH and sorry about all the death…..**


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